Loyalties
by KateinVA
Summary: In Progress. Set after OotP. Draco's life is in chaos when he returns for his 6th year at Hogwarts. When he & Ginny fall in love their loyalties are tested.
1. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Draco Malfoy walked from car to car on the Hogwarts Express looking for an empty compartment. In previous years he would have been flanked by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Greg Goyle, and together they would have patrolled the train; terrorizing first years and picking fights with the exalted Harry Potter and his friends, that prat Ron Weasley and High Queen Know-It-All Hermione Granger. Quite a lot had happened since he left school at the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts though, and Draco did not feel like being around people. If he hadn't been so disgusted with what was happening at home, he would have preferred never to return to Hogwarts again. Unfortunately, suffering through another term was the lesser of the two evils.

Finally he came across a compartment that was unoccupied. Stepping inside, Draco closed the door, pulled down the shades and sat against the inner wall. Leaning his head back, he listened to the voices of the other students calling out to each other and discussing the events of the summer. The happy chatter made Draco want to throttle them all. He closed his eyes, if he was lucky he would sleep through the long trip and avoid all human contact until he arrived at the wizarding school. If he was really lucky, Draco thought as he began to drift off, his mind would find a dark, quiet place to rest; one without dreams.

Ginny had followed her brother Ron onto the train but now she slowed her pace to put a little distance between them. Whatever compartment Ron, Harry and Hermione rode in would have a thick air of tension in it that they all seemed dead set on ignoring. She didn't fancy spending hours cooped up avoiding the obvious fact that both Ron and Harry had developed more than a friendly interest in Hermione over the summer.

When Harry and Hermione had visited them at the Burrow, the Weasley family home, the boys spent the entire week trying to show each other up. They both nearly collapsed after de-gnoming the garden, each trying to hurl the little imps farther and faster than the other. It would have been comical if both weren't so adamant that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. For once Hermione didn't seem to have a clue what to do and would downplay the situation whenever Ginny tried to talk to her about it. Eventually Ginny gave up trying to make them acknowledge the rivalry and just kept to herself. She supposed that it didn't help that she had spent several years pining for Harry Potter and even though she had gotten over her crush, it still caused her a small pang of jealousy to see him panting after one of her friends.

Once Ron had moved far enough ahead of her, Ginny started looking around for an unoccupied compartment. She had waited until the last minute to do her summer assignment for the much hated Potions teacher, Professor Snape, and Ginny figured if she wasn't going to sit with her friends she may as well try to find a quiet place to do a little editing. By this time though, most of the compartments were filled with students and Ginny had traveled most of the length of the train before she found one that appeared to be vacant. The door was closed and no sounds were coming from within so, with a quick look around to make sure Ron wasn't nearby, she opened the door and slipped into the dark little room.

All of the shades were drawn and when the door closed behind her the compartment was nearly pitch black. Ginny walked over to the window and set down her traveling bag. She began lifting the window shades but turned suddenly when she heard a movement behind her. There, sitting right by the door, was Draco Malfoy! It had been so dark when she came in she hadn't even noticed him. Malfoy appeared to be sleeping but must have shifted when the light from the window shined on his face. Ginny carefully drew the shade down on the offending window and picked up her bag. God, I hope he doesn't wake up before I get out of here, she thought. Feeling disappointed, Ginny started to tiptoe back towards the door when it struck her just how cowardly she was behaving. It's not as though he's a rabid animal, she thought to herself, and besides, he's asleep and I really don't want to go sit with Hermione and her suitors. Mentally chanting that she was not scared of Malfoy, Ginny settled herself into the corner farthest from him and opened only the shade right next to her so that she could work on her Potions paper.

As hard as she tried to concentrate, Ginny's gaze kept straying to Malfoy's face. She was used to seeing it twisted into an arrogant sneer but now, while he slept, he looked almost angelically serene. Ginny knew he was nothing like an angel. He was obnoxious to most everyone, but he truly loathed Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and the Weasley family. Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood were certain to follow closely behind them on Malfoy's list of enemies this year given their part in sending Malfoy's father to Azkaban at the end of the previous school year. What am I doing sitting in here with him, Ginny asked herself. She didn't move, however, she just continued to stare at the blond Slytherin.

Malfoy's skin had darkened into a soft bronze over the summer and his already blond hair was nearly white now. For the first time, Ginny realized that Draco Malfoy was a very attractive young man. His fine, aristocratic features were slightly androgynous but not feminine. It was difficult to tell with him sitting down but he seemed to have grown a few inches taller and several pounds heavier, still lean but no longer skinny. Pity he's such a git, Ginny thought, I could find a use for a boy who looks this good. Stifling a laugh, she turned back to her paper. She didn't notice immediately when his expression began to change.

He couldn't move. He was frozen before the red, snake-like eyes. Draco could hear the screams coming from the next room but he could do nothing to alleviate her pain. He had never felt so helpless. He was weak, just as his father had said. As Draco's face flushed with shame, the Dark Lord finally spoke.

"Tell me, young Malfoy, who shall have the first honor?"

He could feel the bile rising in this throat as the implication of the Dark Lord's words became clear. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and beads of cold sweat formed along his brow.

"Malfoy! Malfoy!" He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"NO!"

Draco swung hard and connected; a solid, satisfying blow. The whelp of pain that followed roused him from his dream. A red-haired girl was crumpled on the floor with blood trickling from her mouth. As comprehension slowly washed over him, he realized the girl was Ginny Weasley and that he had struck her. His understanding of the situation ended there though as he could not for the life of him think of a reason he and Ginny Weasley would be sharing a passenger compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Wiping his cool, damp forehead, it occurred to Draco that the youngest Weasley must have tried to wake him from his nightmare. He knew it was unreasonable, but he was furious with her for witnessing his moment of vulnerability. As his shame and anger came flooding back, he lashed out.

"What are you doing in here, Weasley?", he hissed.

Ginny had picked herself off of the floor and was now gingerly touching her jaw. She ran her tongue over the cut in her lip and tasted blood. She had looked up to find Malfoy still sleeping but with a look of terror on his face. He'd begun mumbling and thrashing about so franticly that it worried her and Ginny had gone over to try to wake him up. She hadn't been prepared when his fist came flying towards her. Idiot, she thought to herself furiously, why couldn't you just let him be?

"I asked what you're doing in here, Weasley."

Glaring at him, Ginny struggled to keep the tears welling in her eyes at bay. That was all she needed, to let Draco Malfoy know he'd actually hurt her. He'd spend the next year gloating and trying to intimidate her. Who the hell was he to be angry with her anyway? She was the one with blood dripping down her chin and a bottom lip that was growing steadily larger. Her head was throbbing and it was a wonder he hadn't knocked out any of her teeth.

"Well Malfoy," Ginny said sarcastically, "I heard someone bawling and I came to check it out. Don't worry about the lip, I've always wished they were a bit fuller anyway."

"I was not bawling," he snarled as he sprung to his feet. Towering over the petite red-head, he had a great desire to strike her again. He glared down at her. Her jaw was set and she held her position without flinching. Despite her stance, Draco could see her heart beating rapidly in her chest. He felt a grudging respect that she had the nerve to stand up to him in spite of her fear and pain. He knew his anger was not really at her but at himself for being so pathetic. Finally, he looked away.

Ginny grabbed her bag and headed for the door of the compartment without looking at him. Just as she was reaching for it, Malfoy grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. He didn't look as angry now and he almost sounded sincere when he said, "I'm sorry I hurt you."

Keeping her head down, Ginny hurried to the washroom. Once inside, she moved to the mirror and surveyed the damage Malfoy had done to her face. The left side of her lower lip was swollen to twice its normal size. The cut made by her tooth was no longer bleeding, the dribbled blood was quickly drying on her chin. A large purple bruise was spreading along her jaw line and Ginny winced as she slowly stretched her mouth open. Carefully, Ginny washed away the streak of blood and splashed a little cold water on her face. I can't spend the rest of the trip in the toilet, she reasoned, I suppose I'll go find Ron and the others.

A few minutes later Ginny found her brother and their friends, a couple of who looked slightly nervous. Neville and Hermione were watching anxiously as Ron and Harry shoveled Schlott's Sizzling Ginger Snaps into their mouths. Ron's face was a red as his hair and Harry's eyes were watering from the spicy heat of the cookies. Stuffing a final cookie into his full mouth, Ron said in a muffled voice, "Fourteen! Beat that Potter!" Harry lifted another cookie to his lips but couldn't find any way to fit it in. Disgusted, he tossed the cookie aside. Looking up from her magazine, Luna Lovegood noticed Ginny and said dreamily, "You have a fat lip."

Hermione startled, "Oh my God, Ginny!" and Ron nearly choked on his fourteen Sizzling Ginger Snaps before he was finally able to swallow and demand, "What happened?" Both Harry and Neville looked shocked.

She had already decided on a story to tell them knowing there was no way to hide her injuries. It just wasn't worth listening to them chastise her for sitting with Malfoy in the first place. Not to mention that Ron would want to run off and avenge his baby sister's pain.

"I tripped coming up the aisle and smashed face first into the snack cart," Ginny lied, "It was really embarrassing."

Hermione eyed her suspiciously, but no one challenged her version of events. Ginny plopped down into a seat and for once wasn't disappointed when everyone (expect for Luna, who was still reading 'The Quibbler') turned their attention to Ron and Harry's latest pissing contest.


	2. School work and worries

A/N: I don't own anything except the plot. It's unclear in book five which Death Eaters, other than Lucius Malfoy, were captured so my reference to Nott in this chapter (and other Death Eaters in later chapters) may eventually contradict books six and seven.

The first week at Hogwarts was busy as always. Ginny was in her O.W.L. year and her teachers were making sure that the fifth year students knew they were in for a demanding term. She had mountains of homework from all of her teachers expect Firenze, the centaur teaching her Divination class. Firenze thought that trying to test students on foretelling the future was a ridiculous idea and Ginny was very relieved she'd gotten in his class rather than Professor Trelawney's. Harry and Ron always came back from her class smelling like incense and with assignments that they had to be very imaginative to complete.

Since it was still light and mild outside, Ginny decided to go outside to do her homework. She settled under a tree near the lake and pulled out her parchment, quill and her Transfiguration text. She was about three quarters of the way through her essay when a shadow fell over her paper. Squinting, she looked up into the smug face of Draco Malfoy.

"That's a nasty bruise you have there, Weasley," he drawled, "Although I'm sorry to tell you that your lip is pencil thin again."

Ginny unconsciously reached a hand up to her jaw. He was right, the fat lip he'd given her had gone away but the bruise was taking a little longer to heal. It was no longer purple but an ugly yellow-brown and it still ached when she opened her mouth.

"I've been expecting your prat brother to demand satisfaction the whole week but he's only been as much of a git as usual." He sneered, "Certainly he's not so busy sniffing after Granger that he didn't even notice my handiwork?"

"Not to worry, Malfoy. Ron was quite shocked by my appearance."

"Well do tell him to get on with his attempt to retaliate. I'm getting rather weary of waiting."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there," Ginny said in an insincere apologetic tone, "As far as my brother knows I had a horrid run-in with the snack cart."

His eyes widened briefly in surprise and Malfoy lowered himself into a squatting position to look her in the eyes.

"Now why, I wonder, would you tell him that?" he asked.

Ginny sighed, wishing he would just go away. "Why, Malfoy? I startled you out of your sleep; it wasn't as if you meant to hit me. You apologized. I didn't feel the need to get my over-protective brother all in a lather over it. Nor did I relish the idea of being lectured about traveling with Draco Malfoy. Does that clear it all up for you or shall I draw you a picture?"

Malfoy started to get up but changed his mind. Smirking, he asked, "Why _were_ you in my compartment, Weasley? Looking for a bit of personal attention?"

Ginny laughed in his face. "Not from you, Malfoy! I thought the compartment was empty and I was looking for a quiet place to finish up a paper. I almost left when I realized you were there, but I decided that the stench wasn't so awful that it would distract me from my work. So, if you're quite finished with your questions, why don't go find someone else to irritate?"

Giving her a quick icy glare, Malfoy stood and stalked back toward the castle. Ginny looked around and saw that the sun was beginning to set. She'd have to finish the essay after dinner. Gathering up her things, she followed the annoying Slytherin.

Later, Ginny lay in bed and tried to decompress. She should have been prepared for the amount of work being heaped on her. She had, after all, watched six brothers go through this process before her. She wasn't prepared, though, and now when night came it took quite a while for her to clear her head and relax enough to go to sleep. Heck, even when she was asleep she was overwhelmed by school work. Just last night she'd had a dream that she turned in a paper in Potions only to discover she had inadvertently switched the paper with her mother's grocery list.

Also keeping her awake was the constant replaying in her mind of the recent exchanges she'd had with Malfoy. What kind of dream could cause an arrogant git like Malfoy to be so terrified? What scared his so badly that he would lash out like he had? It was very perplexing.

And, finally, what should she do about Ron and Harry's ridiculous competition for Hermione's affection. Ron had had a minor crush on Hermione since his fourth year, Ginny knew. He'd never admitted it. In fact, Ginny wasn't sure he had even recognized his jealousy of Victor Krum for what it was at the time. Now that Harry had developed feelings for her as well, Ron had been forced into action. Ron's perception that he was always in Harry's shadow made any competition between the two a bit touchy. At least Ginny was fairly certain he was sincerely interested in Hermione.

Harry was a larger problem. He had never shown the slightest interest in Hermione as anything other than his best friend before this summer. Ginny wasn't convinced that his attention to Hermione had honest-to-goodness romantic roots. Sirius' death had been a huge blow to Harry. He didn't really remember his parents so even though he wished they were still alive, he couldn't miss them. Sirius was a different story. All Harry's hopes for happiness had been pinned on Sirius. The plan was for Harry to live with Sirius once Sirius' name was cleared. He had been the closest thing to a father that Harry ever had. Losing him simply crushed Harry. Ginny worried that Harry was just looking for a way to fill the hole that Sirius had left. She worried that Harry, Hermione and Ron would all be hurt in the end. It was a difficult problem to address though. How could she tactfully tell Hermione that she thought Harry only wanted her because he missed his godfather?

Slowly Ginny managed to let these thoughts slip away. As the last of the tension melted away from her, she finally succumbed to sleep.

Alone in the Slytherin common room, Draco revisited his earlier conversation with the Weasley girl. It had surprised him that she lied to her brother about what had happened. The prat must annoy his sister almost as much as he annoyed Draco if she preferred letting Draco get away with hitting her to listening to Ron lecture her. It was interesting. His respect for her was a little less grudging knowing she wasn't the type that immediately ran off to tattle. And while it was good to know that Ron Weasley wasn't planning to come after him, Draco knew he deserved the wrath of the girl's brother. Not that he would have submitted to it, but he was honest enough with himself to know he'd earned it.

Draco looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 2:30 in the morning and he was very tired. Sleep was not very restful for him these days. The dreams were always there. Since he couldn't very well take the chance that his roommates would wake up to find him sweating and flailing about – Crabbe & Goyle did not have the same desire for discretion that Ginny Weasley had – Draco had taken to staying in the common room until everyone else had gone to bed and getting what little rest he could there. As long as he was up and dressed before everyone else, no one noticed that he hadn't been in his bed all night. It was wearing on him though. Dark circles seemed to be permanently drawn under his eyes. He dreaded going to sleep, but he could only hold out so long. Stretching out on the soft green sofa, he closed his eyes.

"Answer me, boy!"

The voice was hateful. The red eyes bore down on him and he closed his own eyes to escape the fury that shone in them.

"Please, My Lord, I can't. Let us go home."

Draco loathed the desperation in his voice. He longed to hurt his father's master but he could only plead for mercy.

Lord Voldemort laughed at him. It was a horrible sound, dark and sinister.

"You can't? Let you go home? You can and you will. Now get on with it, your father's comrades are anxious to begin."

Summoning his courage, Draco looked straight into the hideous eyes.

"I will not." His steely voice echoed across the chamber.

He heard the word, 'Crucio', just a split second before he felt a pain too great for tears. He couldn't think. All that existed was agony. It seemed to stretch on forever but, when it finally ended, he knew it had only been a few minutes.

"Have you made your choice?"

Panting, Draco tried to meet the Dark Lord's eyes once again. "I will not," he repeated.

"Foolish boy, you are mistaken." There was no humor in the laugh that followed. Draco saw the wand rising towards his chest and closed his eyes. He heard the spell called out once again, "Crucio!"

And so it went, the unforgivable curse causing torturous pain to engulf him each time he refused the Dark Lord. Sometime later, he couldn't be sure just how long, Draco lay sprawled on the cold stone floor, his body twitching involuntarily. He could not fight anymore.

"Have you made your choice?"

Quietly, a voice Draco didn't recognize as his own replied, "Yes, My Lord."

"Who will it be then, young Malfoy?"

"Nott, My Lord." And then the tears came.


	3. The Great Hall

"Ginny! Over here!"

Ginny looked up in the direction the voice came from. Colin Creevey was waving at her from the Gryffindor table. She smiled in response and settled herself in the seat next to him.

"Good morning, love," Colin said cheerily and leaned in to give her a one-armed hug.

"Morning, Col. Why so chipper?" Ginny asked. Colin was rarely in a bad mood, but he looked especially amused this morning.

"Have you seen your brother and Harry today?" he asked with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Ginny groaned, "No, what have they gotten up to now?"

"Well," Colin suppressed a laugh, "Hermione was having trouble with a particular spell and Harry and Ron graciously offered to be her guinea pigs. When I saw them they were on their way to see Madame Pomfrey with matching duck bills. It seems Hermione hadn't mastered the counter spell either."

"All before breakfast even," Ginny snorted, shaking her head, "This has really got to stop. I ought to say something to Hermione. I can't believe she's letting them behave like this. Those two are going to kill themselves trying to impress her."

"Oh, Ginny," Colin patted her arm comfortingly. "They'll work it out. Don't get involved; you'll only end up arguing with them and stirring up more trouble. Besides, entertainment like this doesn't come along every day."

Ginny gave Colin a half-hearted shove. Just then Dean Thomas sat down on Ginny's other side.

"Hey Ginny, how's it going?" he asked with an almost imperceptible tremor in his voice.

She looked over at the attractive black boy and tried to keep her expression neutral. Dean had been her boyfriend at the end of the last school year but they'd broken up about a month into summer break. He'd told her it was just too difficult to keep up a relationship when he wouldn't be able to see her until school was back in session. Later she'd heard that he'd been dating a muggle girl that lived nearby even before he'd broken up with her. Ginny hadn't forgiven him yet.

"Hi Dean," she said coolly, "It's going alright. What's up?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and gave him a look that indicated he should get to the point.

Running a hand over his hair, Dean replied, "Oh, you know, not much. I just thought I'd come by and say hello."

"Ok then, see you later," Ginny responded dismissively as she turned back to Colin.

"Hey, uh, Ginny?" She looked back over her shoulder. Dean continued nervously, "I was wondering if you were seeing anyone."

Oh, this is too much, she thought. Her eyes narrowed and Ginny retorted caustically, "No Dean, I'm taking a bit of a break from relationships. You see the last bloke I dated turned out to be a cheating bastard. It's left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth where boyfriends are concerned." With that she gave him a curt nod and turned away again. She heard him mumble something like 'Sorry, Ginny' as he left the table.

Across the room at the Slytherin table, Draco had been watching the Weasley girl give Thomas the brush off. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards when he saw the steely look in her eyes. What had Thomas done to upset the little spitfire? The red hair was no lie; this girl was a force to be reckoned with. He knew from personal experience just how dangerous she could be when provoked. Ginny Weasley had caught him with a damned good bat bogey hex last year. Draco grimaced at his memory of the day he had fallen victim to her ire, it had taken Madame Pomfrey quite a while to fix him up. Judging by the look on Thomas' face, the little weasel was just as devastating with her words as with her wand.

Draco studied the girl for a few moments. Her shoulder length red hair was wavy and slightly darker than her prat brother's. She was petite and quite slim. She had the longish nose typical of all the Weasley children. Her wide eyes were a deep chocolate brown. She was not voluptuous; her curves were proportionate to her small frame. All in all she was not beautiful, but she was definitely attractive. Add her fiery temper into the mix and Draco would even say she was downright sexy. Compelling in a way that cows like Pansy Parkinson could never be. Draco's brow furrowed and he wondered where these thoughts had come from. He'd never considered her as anything more than an irritating pest before. She was a Weasley; he was a Malfoy. He was rich; she was poor. She was a Gryffindor; he was a Slytherin. Those simple facts effectively eliminated any possibility of dating the girl. They had been more than enough to keep him from having any interest in her at all until now. What had changed? Quickly deciding that lack of sleep was affecting his brain, Draco turned his attention away from the intriguing young witch.

As Draco tried to refocus on his breakfast two feminine hands slipped over his eyes.

"Guess who," demanded a nasally voice he had no trouble recognizing.

Draco rolled his still covered eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What do you want, Pansy?" he snapped.

The dark haired Slytherin girl removed her hands and sat down next to him in a huff.

"Charming as always, Draco," she pouted, "You're very lucky I'm so forgiving. A less understanding girl would have ditched you and your foul temper by now."

Staring at her in disbelief he replied exasperatedly, "If only you were as gifted in memory as you are in compassion. It seems you've forgotten that I ditched you last year, you stupid bint."

The nostrils of Pansy's pug nose flared and her face contorted into a scowl. Rising from the table she peered down at him contemptuously. "You'll come back to me, Draco. Your father's in prison and your mother's a whore, who else is going to want you?"

Draco sprang from the bench and pressed his wand to Pansy's throat. His eyes were molten silver and his restraint parchment thin. Gritting his teeth he spoke to her in a low growl. "Never speak ill of my mother. I will harm you, Pansy."

An oily voice came from behind him, "Is there a problem, Mr. Malfoy?" Professor Snape stepped between the two students and firmly guided the hand that held Draco's wand back to his side.

Draco turned away from his Head of House. "No sir, there is no problem."

"Don't blame Draco, Professor. Having your family disgraced would put anyone on edge, I expect." With a flip of her dark hair, Pansy stormed out of the Great Hall.

"My office, Mr. Malfoy. Now." Snape walked briskly out of the dining area with Draco following a few steps behind.


	4. Lucius' Punishment

**Fearlessfreak - Bint is a British slang term for a woman. Let's just say it's not a compliment. I believe it is derived from the Arabic word for daughter.**

Professor Snape lowered himself into the chair behind his desk but did not invite Draco to take a seat.

"That was quite a show you put on, Mr. Malfoy," the Potions master said dryly, "Whatever possessed you to threaten one of your housemates?"

Draco would not meet the professor's eyes. "It was just an argument that got out of hand, sir. It won't happen again."

"A lovers' quarrel?" inquired Snape, his tone mocking.

Draco scowled and continued to avoid Professor Snape's gaze, "Something like that, Professor."

Snape took a deep breath. He had not been looking forward to this conversation although he'd known for quite a while that he would have to have it. The boy was obviously not coping well with the events of the last several months.

"Mr. Malfoy, I expect you to look at me when I am speaking to you." Lazily he motioned to the chair opposite his own. "Sit. There are some things we need to discuss."

The blond teenager sank into the chair and glared at his Head of House. "What is it you wanted to talk about, sir?"

"Your abysmal attention to yourself and your responsibilities, Draco," Snape replied. "You are not keeping up with your classes. Several of your teachers have spoken to me about your lack of effort. You walk about looking half dead with great dark circles under your eyes. You ignore your prefect duties. As I understand it you have even skived off Quidditch practice. And today you threaten a girl from your own House – in front of the entire school no less! Explain yourself!"

"I already told you, sir," Draco explained, "Pansy and I just had a disagreement that got a bit heated."

"Do not toy with me, Draco. I am speaking of a larger issue. Explain why one of my best students has suddenly become an embarrassment to my House."

Straightening in his chair, Draco met the Potions professor's eyes and spoke with deadly calm.

"As I'm sure you are aware, sir, things have been difficult for my family since my father's incarceration."

"Yes," Snape said sadly, "I imagine your mother has had a hard time…"

Draco interrupted in a cold fury, "I doubt very much you've only imagined it, Professor. I expect every male in the Dark Lord's service is intimately familiar with the _hard_ time my mother has been having."

Professor Snape stood suddenly and raised his hand as if to strike the boy sitting across from him. He seemed to gain control of himself at the last moment and returned his hand to the desktop. Leaning forward slightly he spoke quietly, carefully enunciating each word.

"It is unwise to speak of such matters at Hogwarts, Draco. However, I feel I must correct your assumption. While I cannot claim ignorance of her situation, my interactions with your mother have never been of the nature you are insinuating."

"You must be the only one. Even my aunt's husband has come to _visit_ my mother, the bloody bastard. HOW LONG IS THIS TO GO ON? WHY IS HE DOING THIS?" Draco's voice was bitter and increasingly desperate.

Snape returned to his seat and looked at the angry young man with sympathy. How much of the truth could he tell him without causing him additional anguish? Draco had hero-worshipped his father almost since birth. Lucius' arrest had been very hard for the boy to swallow. The reasons for his mother's current torment would certainly cause Draco to become more disillusioned with his father. That in itself was not a terrible thing but Snape would have preferred not to be the one to deliver the blow.

"Draco, surely you have deduced the reason for the ill fortune that has beset your family in the last few months. The Dark Lord is punishing your father for his failure at the Ministry of Magic. It will continue until he is satisfied with the punishment. He spent months trying to lure Harry Potter to the Ministry and Lucius was the leader of the group sent to retrieve the prophecy that night. As you well know, the Dark Lord's plan was thwarted and the prophecy was destroyed. He does not forgive easily; it is unlikely that your mother's situation will change in the near future."

Draco stood and began to wander restlessly about the room. "Why is he punishing my mother for my father's mistake? She hasn't done anything to deserve what's happening to her! Surely the Dark Lord could get to my father if he wanted to!"

"Of course he could. There was no need for that. Narcissa is Lucius' greatest weakness."

Standing now next to shelves housing an incredible array of strange objects in jars, Draco snorted. "That's very sweet Professor but you don't have to tell me fairy tales. I have no illusions about my parents' feelings for one another. Love was not a factor in their marriage."

"Indeed not," Snape replied, "I am not telling you fairy tales, Draco, I am stating facts. Lucius wanted your mother from the first time he saw her. Not, as you pointed out, because he loved her but because she was beautiful, rich and pureblooded. He wanted her in the same way he wanted the finest robes or a top of the line broomstick." The Potions Master paused. "Your mother, however, would not accept him and her parents were unwilling to force her into a marriage she did not want. It was only with the assistance of the Dark Lord that he was able to persuade Narcissa to marry him."

"What sort of assistance?" Draco asked darkly.

Snape waved his hand noncommittally, "I'm sure you can imagine the sort of persuasion the Dark Lord would use on a reluctant bride."

"What sort of assistance?" he repeated.

Wearily Snape closed his eyes and massaged his temples as if these recollections caused his head to ache.

"Narcissa was in love with another man, Gideon Prewett. Gideon came from a respectable, although not wealthy, pureblood family and your mother's parents approved of him. Your father was obsessed with Narcissa, he could not bear another man laying hands on the woman he already considered his. Lucius knew that Narcissa would soon marry this other man if something was not done. He went to the Dark Lord, swearing his allegiance and begging for assistance in convincing your mother to marry him. He convinced the Dark Lord that a marriage between two wealthy purebloods would be beneficial, particularly when one was so devoted to the Dark Arts. They could produce heirs and raise them to serve the Dark Lord. Their combined fortunes and connections would be valuable in the war against mudbloods and blood traitors. Together Lucius and his master went to your mother's home. Gideon Prewett was there. Narcissa and her parents watched as the Dark Lord tortured him. Before Gideon was killed, Lucius cut off his hands and presented them to Narcissa. None but he would ever touch her, he proclaimed. She belonged to him and they would marry. The Dark Lord made clear that any refusal would guarantee their deaths in a manner worse than they had just witnessed. Of course, no refusal was made and your parents were married shortly thereafter."

For a moment, Draco just stared at his teacher. He could not remain still though; the anger boiling inside of him caused his whole body to tremble. His hands itched to damage something – anything. With a fierce guttural scream Draco cleared the shelves. As the jars rained down Draco turned and fled the room, leaving broken glass, spilt liquids and strange slimy things strewn across the floor.


	5. Untruths

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. Thank you to everyone that's reviewed!**

"What do you suppose _that_ was about?" Colin asked, staring after the Potions professor and his charge.

Ginny shrugged, "I don't know. I've never seen Malfoy look at anyone other than Harry like that. Pansy must have really teed him off. I wonder what she said to him."

A thoughtful look came over Colin's face. "She must have insulted his hair," he said knowledgably, "He's always been very sensitive about his hair."

The brown-eyed girl giggled, "I know he's vain, but I think it would take more than a harsh critique of his coiffeur to make his lose it like that in front of the whole school."

He nodded, "Maybe she told him she was leaving him for Goyle, because Gregory is a real man who knows how to satisfy a woman." Colin couldn't keep a straight face through this comment. Two sets of eyes drifted over to the Slytherin table where Greg Goyle was attempting to shovel food into his mouth with his right hand while he scratched his armpit with his left. The Gryffindor teens broke into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Ron was looking down at his sister, flanked by his usual companions. Ginny caught her breath and smiled up at him.

"Hello dear brother," she began cheerfully, "I'm glad to see you've given up on the duck-billed look. The yellow would clash horribly with your hair."

Each member of the Golden Trio turned a bit pink at this comment but they took the open seats next to Ginny and Colin and Ron asked again about the cause of their mirth.

Colin answered, "We were just contemplating Goyle's innate manliness and how Pansy Parkinson would be helpless to resist it."

Three blank stares met this response, prompting another round of giggles from the two fifth years before they related the exciting events at the Slytherin table. As could be expected, Ron and Harry laughed heartily at the story but Hermione looked concerned.

"It's not like Malfoy to have a row with another Slytherin in front of the other houses. Usually in-house arguments are settled in private. He must have been very upset with Pansy to threaten her publicly," Hermione commented gravely. Her brow furrowed in concentration, as though she was trying to solve a puzzle. "He's been acting strange since school started," she continued, "He doesn't bother Harry; he's hardly ever with Crabbe and Goyle." Hermione's head swiveled sharply to Harry and Ron. "Have you noticed how peaky he's looked lately? Dark circles under his eyes, grayish pallor. There's something strange going on with him."

Ron looked aggrieved. "You must spend a lot of time staring at Malfoy," he grumbled, "A person would think you like the great pillock or something."

Hermione blinked in surprise. "I just think he's acting peculiar is all," she said quietly.

"Hermione's right," Harry said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder defensively, "Malfoy has been acting strange lately. Just because she noticed it doesn't mean she likes the git. Besides, Hermione is not your girlfriend. You've got no business being jealous."

Ron's face went pink, "I'm not jealous! And what are you getting so indignant about? She's not your girlfriend either!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and yanked at Colin's sleeve. "I'm going to get out of here," she whispered, "I can't handle all the testosterone." Colin acknowledged her with a wink and went back to watching Hermione's suitors spar.

As she left the Great Hall, Ginny debated what to do with the rest of her day. It was Saturday so no classes were taking place. The first Hogsmeade visit was still weeks away. The prospect of sitting in the Gryffindor common room waiting for her friends to finish breakfast didn't excite her. Eventually she decided to head up to the Charms classroom and see if Professor Flitwick was there. They were studying silencing charms and Ginny hadn't been able to work the charm properly yet. Rather than being silenced, her targets just sounded as though they had inhaled a great deal of helium. Maybe Professor Flitwick could help her figure out what she was doing wrong.

She walked up the staircases that took her to the third floor, careful to avoid vanishing steps. The Charms classroom was deserted but a sound from down the hall caught Ginny's attention. It seemed to be coming from the trophy room. She could hear voices punctuated by thumping and crashing noises. Quietly she opened the door and peered inside.

The room was a wreck. A large hole was in the glass front of the trophy case, cracks grew from the hole like spiderwebs. Pieces of glass and broken trophies were scattered across the floor. Peeves was cackling loudly and flipping happily around the room, gleefully dodging the objects being hurled at him by a very angry looking Draco Malfoy. Ginny noticed that Malfoy's hand was dripping blood.

"Moody, mopey Malfoy! Moody, mopey, Malfoy!"

A small wooden plaque flew through the air. "Shut up, Peeves!" the irate boy screamed.

The poltergeist caught the object handily and threw it back at Malfoy, who did not move out of the way fast enough. The plaque hit him squarely in the eye, eliciting a stream of obscenities from the youth.

Peeves swooped around the room and noticed Ginny's presence for the first time.

"Naughty, naughty, you've been caughty!"

Malfoy whipped around towards the door. His eye was already beginning to blacken and swell. Ginny met his gaze. His expression was murderous but there was there was something else. Beneath the angry glare was a look of deep pain unrelated to his external wounds. Ginny could see that his uninjured eye was pink rimmed and bloodshot. Could Malfoy have been crying?

Peeves was still calling out taunts in a screechy sing-song voice. Pointing her wand at the annoying specter Ginny spoke clearly, "Silencio!" Peeves' eyes opened wide and his mouth moved furiously, silently berating the Gryffindor fifth year. After making a very rude gesture to the students Peeves fled the trophy room.

"It worked!" Ginny cried happily, forgetting for a moment whose company she was in.

Malfoy clapped his hands derisively. "Masterful, Weasley, truly brilliant," he sneered, "I didn't need your help."

Ginny made a face, "Yes, Malfoy, your plan to get rid of Peeves by screaming and throwing things was working so well." Something warm pressed against her leg and Ginny looked down to see Mrs. Norris.

"Who is it, my pet?" Argus Filch's voice echoed down the hall. "Who's been making so much noise?" As he reached the door to the trophy room the caretaker's eyes narrowed. "You! What are you doing?" he spat, craning his head to see into the room.

The red-haired girl moved to block him, putting on an expression of deep concern. With sincerity so believable it would have made Fred and George proud, Ginny's brown eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver.

"Oh, Mr. Filch! Peeves was just in here making a terrible mess! We tried to stop him but he hit Draco with a plaque and rushed out! I was about to come find you, I think he was heading to the library."

The caretaker scowled, unhappily deprived of the opportunity to punish a student. "Is that what happened, boy?" He directed the question to Malfoy, who was now standing next to Ginny.

In a sullen voice, Malfoy agreed that it was.

"The library, eh? Come, Mrs. Norris, the headmaster will hear about this!" Filch retreated down the corridor.

Once they were alone Malfoy rounded on Ginny with an arrogant smirk. "You stupid Gryffindor, I broke the trophy case. Peeves only came along afterward."

Ginny snorted. "Yeah, the bloody hand kind of gave that away, Malfoy." She began to leave but he grabbed her arm, jerking her to face him.

He leaned down so that his face was inches from hers. His wounded eye was now swollen completely shut. "Why did you lie then?"

She didn't reply, instead lifting her wand to eye level and whispering, "Episkey". Malfoy looked momentarily surprised as the swelling receded and his eye returned to normal. Ginny lowered her wand to the now-dry cuts on his hand and opened her mouth to repeat the spell. Suddenly he pushed her roughly aside and stormed past her.

"I told you, I don't need your help."


	6. Conflict and Comfort

**A/N: A short and, perhaps, cryptic chapter. Sorry for the delay between updates.**

Rolling her eyes at Malfoy's ridiculous refusal to let her attend to his injuries, Ginny followed him into the hall.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Ginny voice echoed off the stone walls as Malfoy went rigid and hit the ground with a painful-sounding thump. She hurried to his side and, crouching, rolled him onto his back in a perfunctory manner. Her eyes moved over him, checking for any injuries from his fall. Finding none, Ginny began pulling up the sleeve of his robe to assess the damage he'd done by punching the trophy case.

"Sorry about that," Ginny apologized, "but honestly, Malfoy, you're worse than a first year."

The cuts ran from his knuckles to beyond his wrist. Although they were no longer bleeding, Ginny could see that glass was embedded in the wounds. For the next several minutes, the hallway was quiet, but for the murmuring of spells to remove the shards of glass, clean the wounds, and finally heal the skin.

When she had finished, Ginny leaned back as far as she could in her squatting position, and tried to determine just how ticked off the Slytherin boy was. Malfoy lay perfectly still, yet his irritation was unmistakable. Not that she could blame him, she supposed. Full body binds were rarely looked upon with favor by the person on the receiving end. What in the world had possessed her to do it in the first place? This was Malfoy, after all. What might he do in retaliation? Ginny wondered if she should move away from him before lifting the body bind spell.

"I'm going to take the spell off of you now, Malfoy." She assessed the distance from their location in the corridor to the stairwell. It was too far for her to be able to outrun him, and despite her success with the Bat Bogey Hex the year before, Ginny was in no hurry to get into a duel. Focusing again on the paralysed boy in front of her, Ginny became very serious.

"Don't do anything stupid," she warned. She stood and took a step back from him before speaking the counter spell.

Malfoy rose to his feet slowly, rubbing the shoulder that had taken the brunt of his fall. His grey eyes seemed to have gone several shades darker, like clouds just before a thunderstorm. Ginny braced herself for the hail of insults and indignation, but it did not come. He glowered at her for a long moment, then turned on his heel and strode away without a word.

Ginny left out the breath she'd been holding and put a hand on the wall to steady herself. She didn't know what had made her so determined to play nursemaid to Draco Malfoy. The image of a young man in the trophy room, wearing a pained expression crept into her mind. Had she felt pity for him? Giving her head a shake, Ginny decided that the strange impulse that led her to force her attentions on Malfoy was best left unexamined.

Draco sprinted through the castle, ignoring the curious looks on the faces of the students he passed. Could this day get any worse? It was scarcely past breakfast, and he'd already had a run-in with Pansy, learned some very disturbing family history from Snape, and been saved from certain detention and discomfort by the Weasley girl. Draco didn't want to think about any of that. He didn't want to think about his obsessive ex-girlfriend. He didn't want to think about the many pains his father had caused his mother. He didn't want to think about how easily Ginny Weasley had gotten the better of him, and he certainly didn't want to think of the way her light touches had made his skin tingle and his heart beat double-time. Damn that girl.

He reached the Slytherin common room and hurried to his dorm. The room was deserted and Draco was relieved not to have to deal with his dorm-mates. Kneeling down, he pulled a long trunk out from under his bed and murmured the words to unlock it. With a soft _clack_ the latch opened, allowing its owner access to the broomstick within. More than once Draco had thought that the Gryffindors were a very privileged lot to be housed in a tower rather than a dungeon. It crossed his mind again as he wished for a window through which he could escape with his broom. Having no similarly convenient route to the outdoors, Draco began the trek out of the castle.

As soon as he passed through the oak front doors, he straddled his Nimbus 2001 and took to the air, seeking the freedom and bliss he only ever found when flying. The morning air was cool and damp and a brisk wind buffeted him as soared over the grounds. Force of habit led him to the Quidditch pitch, but Draco soon found the familiar stadium confining. He began a circuit of the school property, flying from the Quidditch pitch along the wall that surrounded Hogwarts to the Black Lake.

From his vantage point he could see the Giant Squid propelling itself lazily across the water. He descended until he was almost touching the water and flew directly above it, keeping time with its progress across the lake. Draco could see one of the squid's enormous eyes regarding him without interest. The careless movements of the water animal were oddly comforting. No ghastly familial intrigues haunted the squid. No unwelcome reactions to a girl's touch set the squid on edge. Draco followed along, lulled by the languid strokes of the squid's tentacles, until the creature tired of its activity and sank down beneath the surface of the water.

He landed on the edge of the water and lay down on the grass. Now that he was back on the ground, the breeze swept over him softly. The sun was bright, and Draco closed his eyes against it. He was calmer now than when he'd rushed from the castle, and soon the combination of little rest and emotional upheaval began to pull him into unconsciousness.

_He was struggling, trying to free his hand from his father's grasp. Across the room, his mother covered her face with her hands and sobbed._

_Lucius held his arm immobile on the marble table. "Pansy, bring me the knife," Draco's father ordered coldly._

_The dark_-_haired girl stepped forward, holding a large butchering knife. Her mouth curled with malicious glee when she looked at Draco._

"_Who's going to want you now?" she sneered. He watched in horror as she handed the knife to Lucius._

"_Father, please," he cried, pulling away desperately now. "Please Father, don't do this!"_

_Keeping a firm hold on Draco's arm, the disgust in his voice unmistakeable, Lucius' only response was to say, "Weak. I always knew you were weak." The words were not unfamiliar, and Draco's cheeks burned in shame._

_The knife came down just below Draco's wrist, and he screamed as he felt it cutting through his flesh._

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_

_As quickly as it had begun, the knife's progress halted, and Lucius fell to the floor. Draco looked up to find the room empty but for the Weasley girl, who seemed to have come from nowhere. Crossing the room quickly, she reached for his wounded arm, and he flinched. The pretty girl graced him with an affectionate smile, and went for his arm again_.

"_Honestly, Malfoy," Ginny teased, her voice low. "You're worse than a first year."_

_Instead of speaking an incantation to knit the cut together, she began to kiss the injured extremity, travelling along the gash left by Lucius' knife. As she moved, Draco could see that the flesh of his arm was completely healed everywhere that Ginny had pressed her lips._


End file.
